Dual heat exchangers with integrated diverter valve

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11268773-B2
Application number	US-202016851592-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2020
Priority date	Apr 17, 2020
Publication date	Mar 8, 2022
Grant date	Mar 8, 2022

Abstract

A heat exchanger assembly includes first and second heat exchangers integrated with a thermally actuated control valve assembly having first and second surfaces to which the first and heat exchangers are attached at various orientations to each other, including at 90 and 180 degrees to each other, and side-by-side. The valve assembly has two fluid ports for connection to an external fluid source, and two fluid ports in fluid communication with inlet and outlet manifolds of each heat exchanger. The heat exchangers may be a transmission oil heater and a transmission oil cooler, and the valve assembly controls the flow of transmission oil to the heat exchangers depending on the oil temperature. One or both of the heat exchangers may be brazed or mechanically secured to the valve assembly. The housing of valve assembly may be segmented, with each heat exchanger being brazed to one of the segments.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat exchanger assembly comprising:
(a) a first heat exchanger; comprising a core having a top and a bottom, the bottom of the core having first and second manifold openings;
(b) a second heat exchanger; comprising a core having a top and a bottom, the bottom of the core having first and second manifold openings;
(c) a control valve comprising a valve housing and first and second valve elements, the valve housing comprising:
(i) a first surface to which the first heat exchanger is attached;
(ii) a second surface to which the second heat exchanger is attached;
(iii) first and second fluid ports for connection to an external source of a first fluid;
(iv) third and fourth fluid ports provided in the first surface of the valve housing, the third fluid port providing fluid communication between the first fluid port and the first manifold opening of the first heat exchanger, and the fourth fluid port providing fluid communication between the second fluid port and the second manifold opening of the first heat exchanger;
(v) fifth and sixth fluid ports provided in the second surface of the valve housing, the fifth fluid port providing fluid communication between the first fluid port and the first manifold opening of the second heat exchanger, and the sixth fluid port providing fluid communication between the second fluid port and the second manifold opening of the second heat exchanger;
(vi) a first valve chamber in flow communication with the first or second manifold opening of the second heat exchanger, wherein the first valve element is configured to selectively block or allow flow of the first fluid through the first valve chamber to or from the second heat exchanger; and
(vii) a second valve chamber in flow communication with the first or second manifold opening of the first heat exchanger, wherein the second valve element is configured to selectively block or allow flow of the first fluid through the second valve chamber to or from said first heat exchanger;

wherein the second, fourth and sixth fluid ports all open into a first interior space of the valve housing, the first interior space being in fluid communication with the first and second heat exchangers through the fourth and sixth fluid ports;
wherein the first, third and fifth fluid ports all open into a second interior space of the valve housing, the second interior space being in fluid communication with the first and second heat exchangers through the third and fifth fluid ports;
wherein the first and second valve elements are spaced apart along a longitudinal axis and are movable along the longitudinal axis;
wherein the first and second valve elements are both attached to a thermal actuator which is located between the first and second valve seats;
wherein the first and second valve elements are movable together along with the actuator between their respective first and second positions; and
wherein the valve housing further comprises a third valve chamber located between the first and second valve chambers, wherein the third valve chamber contains an interior opening of the first fluid port, and also contains the thermal actuator.

2. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second interior spaces are spaced apart from one another along a longitudinal axis and are fluidly isolated from one another.

3. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 2 , wherein the first and second valve elements and the first and second valve chambers are located within the second interior space, and wherein the first valve element and the first valve chamber are spaced apart from the second valve element and the second valve chamber along the longitudinal axis.

4. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the control valve includes a first valve seat located between the first fluid port and the fifth fluid port, wherein the first valve element is movable between a first position in which it sealingly engages the first valve seat to block fluid flow through the first valve chamber, and a second position in which it is spaced from the first valve seat to permit fluid flow through the first valve chamber; and
wherein the control valve includes a second valve seat located between the first fluid port and the third fluid port, wherein the second valve element is movable between a first position in which it is spaced from the second valve seat to permit fluid flow through the second valve chamber, and a second position in which it sealingly engages the second valve seat to block fluid flow through the second valve chamber.

5. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the valve body and the second heat exchanger comprise a unitary first sub-assembly, the components of which are joined by brazing; and
wherein the first heat exchanger is mechanically secured to the first surface of the valve housing.

6. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , the bottom of the first heat exchanger is joined to a first surface of an adapter plate, wherein the first heat exchanger and the adapter plate comprise a unitary second sub-assembly, the components of which are joined by brazing;
wherein the adapter plate has a second surface which is mechanically sealed to the first surface of the valve housing, the adapter plate comprising a pair of openings to provide fluid communication between the third and fourth fluid ports and the first and second manifold openings of the first heat exchanger.

7. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 6 , wherein the adapter plate includes a peripheral edge extending outwardly of a periphery of the first heat exchanger, the peripheral edge having a plurality of apertures which align with threaded bores in the valve body, and wherein the adapter plate is secured to the valve body by a plurality of threaded fasteners.

8. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second surfaces are located on opposite sides of the valve body and are parallel to one another, such that the first and second heat exchangers are located on opposite sides of the valve body; and
wherein the valve body further comprises a third surface in which at least one of the first and second fluid ports are provided.

9. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first heat exchanger is brazed or mechanically secured to the first surface of the valve housing, and the second heat exchanger is brazed or mechanically secured to the second surface of the valve housing.

10. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first and second surfaces of the valve housing are arranged at about 90 degrees to one another, such that the first and second heat exchangers are arranged at about 90 degrees to one another; and
wherein the valve body further comprises a third surface in which the first and second fluid ports are provided, wherein the third surface is arranged at about 180 degrees to one of the first and second surfaces.

11. The heat exchanger assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger assembly comprises a first sub-assembly and a second sub-assembly, and the valve housing comprises a first valve housing segment and a second valve housing segment;
wherein the first valve housing segment includes the first surface of the valve housing and the second valve housing segment includes the second surface of the valve housing;
wherein the first sub-assembly comprises the first heat exchanger and the first valve housing segment, and the second sub-assembly comprises the second heat exchanger and the second valve housing segment;
wherein the first valve housing segment includes a first connection surface and the second valve housing segment includes a second connection surface; and
wherei

Assignees

• Dana Canada Corp

Inventors

• Tonellato Silvio E
• Muhammad Anis

Classifications

• F28D9/0093

  Multi-circuit heat-exchangers, e.g. integrating different heat exchange sections in the same unit or heat-exchangers for more than two fluids · CPC title

• F28F27/02 Primary

  for controlling the distribution of heat-exchange media between different channels ({static flow control means in header boxes F28F9/026}; arrangements of guide plates or guide vanes F28F9/22, F28F25/12) · CPC title

• F28D9/005

  the plates having openings therein for both heat-exchange media · CPC title

• F28D9/0037 Primary

  the conduits for the other heat-exchange medium also being formed by paired plates touching each other (F28D9/0043 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F28F2250/06

  Derivation channels, e.g. bypass · CPC title